CHESTER and Wirral are the second worst 'hotspots' for mobile phone theft in the country.

Halifax Home Insurance reveals this area was second only to Lancaster in the phone theft league, based on the number of claims.

Ipswich is the safest place to have a mobile phone with the fewest number stolen, followed by High Wycombe and Oxford and then Bradford.

Halifax says Britain is being swept by a mobile phone theft epidemic in which one is stolen every 12 seconds - saddling the country with a £390m bill every year.

Research has revealed that of the 37 million Britons who own a mobile, more than two million people have their phone stolen every 12 months.

The most expensive phones were taken in Romford and Ilford in Essex, where the average claim was for £300, double the national average.

The shocking figures come in the wake of an increase in high-profile cases of 'phone-jacking', where thieves snatch mobiles from victims in the street.

Nationally, a rise in violent crime has been blamed in part on the popularity of MP3 players and new mobile phones. Police say that the trend for expensive accessories has fuelled a wave of muggings.

Halifax Home Insurance spokeswoman Vicky Emmott said: 'Mobile phones are constantly getting lighter and more compact which makes them easier for opportunistic thieves to swipe.

'Phone users should avoid 'walking and talking' and keep their mobiles out of sight whenever possible.

'New technology means that many of us use phones for more than just calls and text messaging. Mobile owners should make sure that all contact numbers, diary entries, pictures, downloads and ring-tones are backed-up and saved elsewhere if they don't want to risk losing them.' david.holmes@cheshirenews.co.uk